Serves meat, vegan options available. Restaurant in Old San Juan specializing in Puerto Rican cuisine. Has extensive vegetarian/vegan menu offering appetizers, mains, and desserts. No red meat. Example of dishes include include bbq guava loaf, vegan burger with sauteed mushrooms, spicy tacos, malanga with mango salsa, gluten-free pizza, pancakes with berries. Rotating desserts include vegan cakes like carrot cake and tres leches. Serves cocktails, margaritas, beer, and juices. Food is prepared to order and takes time. Reservations suggested. Open Mon-Wed 9:00am-9:00pm, Thu-Fri 9:00am-6:00pm, Sat-Sun 8:00am-9:00pm.
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407 San Francisco St (at Plaza Colon), San Juan, Puerto Rico
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 22 Feb 2023 by OldCityVvibes
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148 Reviews
First Review by VeganPike
jdestefanis
Points +41
Great brunch - Edit
The food there was great. We went 2 or 3 times in the couple days we were touring San Juan. Highly recommended.
Read moreGuest
TraciC
Points +20
Vegetarians like tofu, right? - Edit
The veg section of the menu is mostly marinated tofu dishes. The one we got had uninspiring slices of soft tofu in a VERY good sauce. (I prefer tofu with more texture.) The bean & rice side was nicely seasoned - I could have eaten a whole bowl of that!
Read moreWe also got a wrap which was full of subtle flavors, none of which I could taste after the first bite, which included a large piece of very strong raw red onion. :(
We got a piece of vegan banana cake, too. It's not a sweet cake with icing; it's more of a moist spice cake. It was a fairly small piece, but reasonable pricing given what I've spent on other vegan treats, and better tasting than many.
Maybe it's not a go-out-of-your-way destination restaurant for vegans, but it is a good place to eat when you're in Old San Juan.
Pros: Convenient tourist location, Good flavors
Guest
kmilitello
Points +725
AMAZING food - Edit
Cafe Berlin was an amazing find in Old San Juan, especially for veg eaters. It's at a beautiful location, and we sat outside and ate several meals there. They have many vegetarian food options, and many vegan options on the menu. They even offered to veganize their "mofongo" (make it without butter and no animal products). Food items included several tofu dishes, grilled veggie options, marinated portobello mushrooms, amazing stuffed vegetarian wonton appetizer, vegetarian loaf entrée made of lentils and brown rice that's served with fresh sautéed veggies, etc.. It was wonderful to find a restaurant that combined traditional puertorican cuisine with vegan friendly options. They also offered a vegan dessert. They do not serve red meat, but they do serve chicken and seafood. The non-vegans with us thoroughly enjoyed their meals there too. Loved. Loved. Loved Cafe Berlin.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Thursday April 25, 2013
Pros: Nice outdoor seating, Vegan dessert option, Large vegetarian menu
Cons: Pricey, Closed mondays
Guest
SonjaCPA
Points +5270
Old Town location - Edit
Cafe Berlin is conveniently located in Old Town close to the cruise port. We were on the Holistic Holiday at Sea cruise and while visiting the forts, it was easy to pop over for lunch. It was really busy, so we had to wait awhile for a table, but it was worth it. The menu has a separate vegetarian section and the waiter was very knowledgeable about what was vegan. Their homemade bread is not vegan (due to eggs), so we didn't order any sandwiches, but nearly all of the entrees were vegan (or could be made vegan). We got the coconut tomato tofu which had a great flavor and the soy steak Argentino where we swapped out the mashed potatoes (not vegan) for the plantains based on the server's recommendation. He was right...very tasty. We wanted to get the vegan carrot cake as well, but they were already sold out (likely due to others on the holistic cruise eating there as well). Overall, the place is very nice with an outdoor patio and friendly staff.
Read morePros: separate veggie section, knowledgeable staff, convenient location
Cons: not vegan, wait for tables
Guest
rdr1
Points +41
Can't wait to go back. - Edit
We went there a few years ago. We still rave about it. Although we live 3,000 miles away. Cafe Berlin just might be worth the trip back.
Read moreGuest
aleal
Points +279
Vegetarian Menu, good location - Edit
This restaurant is located in Old San Juan, on the edge of Cristobal Square. They have quite a few vegetarian/vegan soy and tofu options, including an Argentinian Soy steak.
Read moreThe service is great and they also have a great selection of drinks.
Pros: lots of veg options, location, service
Cons: price
Guest
Islandgirl
Points +28
great veg friendly place in Old San Juan - Edit
This was our go to place while visiting Old San Juan. There are great choices for vegetarian food. The service was excellent, the location perfect, and the vegetarian food choices were numerous. I was also impressed with their dessert menu!
Read morePros: choices, flavorful, location
Guest
bhenrich
Points +98
Great location- good food - Edit
Cafe Berlin could not be in a better location. Right next to a busy park in Old San Juan and the people watching is terrific. Indoor and patio seating and a full bar inside. They are not strictly vegetarian but do have a full section in the menu for vegetarians and it has a great variety of Puerto Rican inspired dishes and the usual comfort foods. Almost all the vegetarian items are vegan or can be slightly modified to be vegan. The dessert menu is not very vegan friendly- offering only Carrot Cake. The staff was very friendly and informative.
Read moreAs I often do, I asked the waiter what the best vegetarian dinner was. He recommended the meatloaf so I tried it. It was a little too realistic for my tastes- it looked and tasted exactly like real meatloaf but upon close inspection you could tell it wasn't. It was covered with a great mango sauce and lots of sauteed vegetables and came with mashed potatoes. I did enjoy the food but would elect something less meat-like next time, and I will most certainly be returning to Cafe Berlin- it is the only vegetarian food in Old San Juan.
Prices are high, but all food in Puerto Rico is very expensive because they import almost everything except plantains.
Pros: Excellent location in Old San Juan, Freindly staff
Cons: They serve meat
Guest
MikeyMike
Points +36
Loved it - Edit
I went with a meat eater and we both loved this place. It is the Square at Old San Juan and it's beautifully situated. The veggie menu is limited, but it is the most extensive in all of Old San Juan (and most of Puerto Rico I think). The staff was knwledgeable and very helpful with menu selections. It's a bit pricey, but everything is in Old San Juan (tourist spot). I highly recommend this place.
Read morePros: Great food., Outdoor seating, Staff
Cons: none
Guest
tsap
Points +73
just okay - Edit
The vegetarian choices are limited primarily to tofu based dishes. Unfortunately there are not a great deal of options in the area. A bit pricey for what you get but that is generally true for the area. Service was good - not very busy when we were in.
Read moreGuest
melimarz
Points +26
Awesome fod & ambience - Edit
This restaurant/internet cafe is beautiful and laid back. The food was great and not too pricey at all. I got the philly "steak" sandwich. They were really friendly, too.
Read morePros: beautiful place, great food, friendly ambience
Guest
gr8vegan
Points +2357
Awesome vegan friendly place in Old San Juan - Edit
The bread isn't vegan so skip the lunch menu down to the huge selection of Tofu Entrees. Get the second one down. It comes with awesome Yuca and a delicious marinara sauce. The Plantain appetizer is veg, too! A must. They have soy ice cream as well. You won't be disappointed while in Old San Juan! Go for dinner if you're staying in the area.
Read morePros: vegan friendly
Cons: bread isn't vegan
Guest
VeganPike
Points +100
Great Drinks, Okay Food In Old San Juan - Edit
If you need someplace to eat in Old San Juan, you pretty much have 3 choices: Cafe Berlin, the Rasta place about a block away down Calle San Francisco, or make it yourself. Cafe Berlin is a nice little place with a sorta fancy-ish, touristy atmosphere. I wound up there 3 times, and the service varied from very sweet but slow to maddeningly idiotic (we had to explain FIVE times how to make a latte, even though it's on their menu). The food is alright, but a bit pricey. A friend and I shared the Philly Steak Sandwich, which is made from extremely salty, marinated tofu, a salad that I wouldn't recommend to anybody, some amarillos (fried sweet plantains) that were delicious, and a fabulous, to-die-for cocktail called the Mangito, because it's sort of like a mojito but with fresh mango in it- soooo delicious! Though at $6 plus tax and tip, it certainly isn't cheap. Anyway, the sandwich comes with tortilla chips, which I found annoying, but other than that it's not a bad choice if you're totally hungry and need some protein. Other than that I didn't try any of the fake meat dishes, and if you're into having an all-veggie sandwich w/ no meat substitute, you can get one for under $6 which isn't bad for here. Overall, not spectacular but beggars can't be choosers in veggie-hatin' San Juan.
Read morePros: Nice Atmosphere, AMAZING DRINKS!!!, Nice location
Cons: Overpriced, Mediocre food, Wildly fluctuating service
Guest
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